Newcastle city council approves plan to totally cut culture budget

Protesters demonstrate earlier this year over cuts made by Newcastle city council. Photograph: David Whinham/Demotix/Corbis

Newcastle city council has approved a plan to cut completely its £2.5m culture budget despite concerted opposition from local residents and a host of artists connected to north-east England.

Angry protesters gathered outside to oppose the cuts proposals, which will slash £100m off the council's budget over the next three years. Organisations including Northern Stage, Dance City and the Theatre Royal are set to lose funding totalling about £1.5m a year.

Musicians such as Sting, Neil Tennant, Bryan Ferry, Mark Knopfler and Thomas Allen, writers such as Pat Barker and Tony Harrison, and actors including Robson Green and Kevin Whately signed a joint letter to the Guardian to express their opposition to the cuts to the arts and libraries.

Speaking at the meeting, council leader Nick Forbes defended the austerity plan, Fair Choices for Tough Times, but blamed the coalition government for forcing the local authority's hand.

He was "deeply angry" that every grant the authority received was being slashed by an "unfair government".

He said no one should doubt the financial crisis the council was facing, adding that the cuts were being made "with a heavy heart and much soul searching".

People shouted and jeered from the public gallery as Forbes said the council would be regarded as a "civic basket case" if the cuts were not made.

He was also accused of spin and "playing the blame game" by the leader of the local Liberal Democrats, David Faulkner.

In response to the consultation, which received 50,000 responses, Forbes said a new fund called the Newcastle Culture Fund would be created. Along with up to £600,000 of council money, the new venture will look for outside investment from individuals and organisations.